T-38 tank

Not to be confused with Panzer 38(t), a Czech-built German tank..

T-38 amphibious scout tank
T-38 tank
Type	Amphibious light tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1937–1943
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Nicholas Astrov & N. Kozyrev, Factory No. 37, Moscow
Designed	1934–1936
Manufacturer	Factory No. 37
Produced	1937–1939
Number built	~1,300
Specifications
Weight	3.3 tonnes
Length	3.78 m
Width	3.33 m
Height	1.63 m
Crew	2

Armour	3–9 mm
Main armament	7.62mm DT machine gun
Engine	GAZ-AA 40 hp (30 kW)
Power/weight	12 hp/tonne
Suspension	Sprung bogie
Operational range	170 km
Speed	40 km/h

The T-38 amphibious scout tank was a Soviet amphibious light tank that saw service in World War II. Developed as a modernized version of the earlier T-37A light tank, the T-38 proved to be only a moderate improvement over its predecessor, and was eventually replaced in 1940 by the T-40.

History

Early trials of the T-37A revealed many deficiencies in its design, including limited range, sub-par buoyancy, and an unreliable transmission and running gear that could cause its tracks to fall off while on the move.^[1] Development of an improved version of the tank that would fix these flaws was begun in late 1934 at Factory No. 37 in Moscow, under the direction of Chief Designer N. Astrov and Chief Engineer N. Kozyrev.^[2] The redesign proved to be so extensive that the project was given the independent designation T-38, and a prototype was completed by June 1935.^[1]

The T-38 retained many design features of the T-37A, including its repurposed GAZ-AA engine and hand-operated turret. The turret was moved from the right to the left-hand side of the tank, switching the driver and commander positions compared to the T-37A. The T-38 also had a slightly wider and lower profile than its predecessor, providing an advantage in buoyancy that made the cork buoys used on the T-37A unnecessary.^[1] While the production-model T-38 was only armed with a 7.62mm DT machine gun, the initial prototype vehicle also included a 20mm ShVAK cannon mounted on the driver's position. This was removed after it was determined the additional cannon impaired the driver's ability to control the tank.^[3]

Like other light tanks of its time, the T-38 was designed for reconnaissance and infantry support roles. As a scout tank the T-38 had the advantages of a very low silhouette and good long-range mobility through its ability to swim. The T-38 was also intended to be air-portable; during the Kiev maneuvers in 1936, the tanks were transported by Tupolev TB-3 bombers, mounted under the fuselage.^[3] Infantry battalions were each issued 38 T-38s, with 50 being designated for each airborne armored battalions. However, the thin armor and single machinegun armament made the tank of only limited use in combat and the lack of a radio in most T-38s was a serious limitation for a reconnaissance vehicle. The T-38 also struggled with carrying any excess cargo across water. The tank was incapable of supporting the weight of two infantrymen while floating, and overloads of 120-150 kilos would cause the commander's hatch to flood, sinking the vehicle.^[1] These flaws were to be fixed by the T-38's successor, the T-40, but only a small number were built before the outbreak of World War II, leaving the T-37A and T-38 to form the bulk of the Red Army's amphibious tanks.^[4]

A total of 1,228 T-38 tanks were built from 1936 to 1937, with an additional 112 made in 1939 after a two-year break in production.^[1]

Service history

T-38RT armed with 20 mm cannon on display at the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow.

The tank served with the Red Army in the Winter War with Finland in 1940, but was unsuccessful due to its light armament and thin armour, which was easily penetrated by rifle and light machine gun fire. In the confined terrain of Finland, the tank was a deathtrap; it also did not do well in the early stages of World War II, and large numbers were captured by the Germans during Operation Barbarossa. The T-38 was rarely seen in direct combat after 1941 and mostly relegated to other roles such as artillery tractor, although it was reported to have been used in the Dnieper River crossing of 1943. During World War II, the main amphibious scout vehicle of the Red Army was the Ford GPA amphibious jeep, an open unarmored vehicle provided through Lend-Lease.

The German Army did not generally use captured T-38s as gun tanks (unlike captured T-26s, T-34s, or other more valuable vehicles).

Romanian forces captured 3 T-38s as of 1 November 1942 and four more in March 1944.^[5]

Variants

T-38 on display at the Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad Museum near St. Petersburg

T-38RT (1937), version equipped with radio and turret-mounted 20mm ShVAK cannon.
OT-38 (1937), flamethrower-equipped version.
T-38M1 (1937), prototype with superior planetary transmission, considered too complex for production.
T-38M2 (1938), modification improving the gearbox and replacing the engine with GAZ M1.
T-38TU, command version with extra radio antenna.
SU-45 (1936), experimental 45 mm self-propelled gun.
T-38TT (1939), experimental remotely controlled tank (teletank).

References

1 2 3 4 5 Baryatinskiy, p. 15-19
↑ Zaloga, p. 77-79
1 2 Milsom, p. 91
↑ Baryatinskiy, p. 58-63
↑ Mark Axworthy, Cornel I. Scafeș, Cristian Crăciunoiu, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941-1945, pp. 220 and 221

Bibliography

Baryatinskiy, Mikhail (2006) Light Tanks: T-27, T-38, BT, T-26, T-40, T-50, T-60, T-70. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allen Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-3163-0
Bean, Tim; Fowler, Will (2002). Russian Tanks of World War II: Stalin's Armored Might. MBI. ISBN 0760313024.
Bishop, Chris (1998) The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
Chamberlain, Peter & Chris Ellis (1972) Tanks of the World, 1915-1945
Fleischer, Wolfgang (1999) Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles 1917-1945
Milsom, John (1970) Russian Tanks, 1900-1970 ISBN 0-88365-052-5
Zaloga, Steven J.; James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to T-38.

World War II vehicles
OnWar
T-38 tanks, T-38 tanks in museum and monuments

Interwar tanks

List Category

Tankettes	L3/33 L3/35 Carden Loyd Morris-Martel T-27 TKS Type 92 tankette Type 94 tankette Type 97 Te-Ke Tančík vz. 33 AH-IV

Light	H35 R35 Fiat 3000 Leichttraktor Light Tanks Mk I–V Light Tank Mk VI Light Tank Mk VII M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank Panzer I Panzer II LT vz. 34 LT vz. 35 LT vz. 38 T1 Light Tank T7 Combat Car T-18 T-13 T-15 T-19 T-26 T-37 T-38 7TP Type 95 Ha-Go Vickers 6-Ton Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Amphibious Tank

Medium	Char D1 Char D2 Grosstraktor Medium Mk I Medium Mk II Medium Mk III Panzer III T-24 T-28 Type 89 I-Go Type 97 Chi-Ni Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 98 Chi-Ho

Cavalry, Cruiser or Fast	AMC 34 AMC 35 AMR 33 AMR 35 BT tank Cruiser Mk I Cruiser Mk II Cruiser Mk III SOMUA S35

Infantry	FCM 36 Infantry Mk I, Matilda Renault R35 T-26 Type 89 I-Go

Heavy	Char B1 Neubaufahrzeug SMK T-35 T-100 Type 95 Heavy Tank Vickers A1E1 Independent

Super-heavy	FCM F1 Char 2C T-42

Armoured Carriers	UE Chenillette Bren Gun Carrier

Tank history classification WWI Interwar WWII Cold War Post–Cold War

Soviet armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

Tanks

Tankettes	T-27

Amphibious tanks	T-37 T-38 T-40

Fast tanks	BT-2/BT-5 BT-7 BT-8

Light tanks	T-18 T-26 T-50 T-60 T-70/T-80

Medium tanks	T-28 T-34 T-44

Heavy tanks	T-35 KV-1/KV-2 IS-2/IS-3

Self-propelled artillery

Guns and anti-tank guns	ZiS-30 SU-5 SU-76 SU-85 SU-100 SU-122 SU-152 ISU-122 ISU-152

Anti-aircraft guns	ZSU-37 T-60Z T-70Z T-90

Armored cars

Light	D-8 D-12 D-13 FAI BA-20 BA-64 PB-4 PB-7 BA-30

Medium	BA-27 BA-I BA-3 BA-6 BA-10

Heavy	BA-11

Aerosani

Aerosani	ANT-IV NKL-16 NKL-26 RF-8 ASD-400

Artillery tractors

Armored Artillery tractors	AT-42 artillery tractor T-26-T Komsomolets Komintern Voroshilovets

Artillery tractors	S-2 Stalinets S-60 Stalinets S-65 Stalinets Kommunar STZ-3 STZ-5 YA-12

Experimental and improvised vehicles

Experimental	SU-14 A-40 flying tank T-43 tank SU-100Y SPG PPG tankette

Improvised	KhTZ-16 IZ NI tank

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